Lil Jon Delivers Crunk!!! To The Newsroom, Says ‘Yeah!’ An Awful Lot

Posted 05/03/2010 3:40:40 pm
by Kyle Anderson.

Monday mornings are tough, even in the MTV Newsroom. With the weekend fresh in our minds, it’s always difficult to clear away the cobwebs and get back into the groove of writing and reporting about the biggest stories in music, entertainment and pop culture. This morning was especially rough, as there are torrential downpours here at MTV News headquarters in New York. But luckily, we got a nice boost in the form of a visit from Lil Jon, who stopped by the office to talk about his forever-in-the-making album Crunk Rock and the latest version of his new energy drink.

Though Lil Jon managed to sneak into the Newsroom undetected, he couldn’t remain anonymous for very long. He was being interviewed by Sway in our interview room, which is just off the Newsroom proper, and we kept hearing exclamations coming from that general direction. At first, we all thought somebody was just playing with the Lil Jon soundboard, but it turned out that the person making the “Yeah!” and “What?” noises was the man himself. Ever since Dave Chappelle appeared as Lil Jon on “Chappelle’s Show,” the rapper has become one of the most impersonated celebrity in the music world (even your mom can probably toss out an “Okay!” if really pressed). But after being in Jon’s presence for only a few minutes (and hearing him through a closed door), it’s safe to say that there is nothing like the original. Lil Jon’s shouts of “Yeah!” have a particular sound that cannot be duplicated, no matter how good Chappelle is.

Other observations about Lil Jon: He’s relatively short and has the most perfect-looking dreadlocks anybody in the Newsroom had ever seen. (And they’re long, too — they must require a ton of upkeep.) He and Sway chatted about the Crunk Rock album (which has evolved from a guitar-based project into a more “electro” direction) and working with 3OH!3. He even turned Sway on to some Brazilian slang. Stay tuned to MTV News and to the Newsroom Blog for more from Lil Jon in the coming days.

When he left, he dropped off a few cans of Crunk!!! to the sleepier-looking members of the Newsroom. He explained that that new version of the drink is sugar-free because “Sugar turns into fat, and I’m getting my workout on!” Thanks for both being concerned about our waistlines and waking us up, Lil Jon.